Welcome New Patients
Thank you for choosing UCLA for your orthopaedic care. We offer a wide range of clinical services with a comprehensive approach for your care. People come to our department from all over the western United States seeking the best available orthopaedic care. Our faculty and staff would like to make your experience with our office a pleasurable one. We pledge to treat our patients and your families with courtesy, dignity, respect and professionalism.
The UCLA Department of Orthopaedic Surgery physicians will:
- Interview and examine you before embarking on a treatment plan.
- Develop long-term treatment goals based on your clinical condition.
- Answer questions and provide appropriate education to help you make the right decision for you.
- Use a multimodality approach, including surgery, diagnostic imaging, medications, physical therapy, and injections to treat your orthopaedic needs.
- Explain risks of procedures along with the associated benefits you can expect from a prescribed course of treatment.
- Consult with other specialists and your primary provider when necessary to provide you with comprehensive care.
- Participate in national professional organizations, scholarly research, and education in orthopaedic conditions.
Information for your first clinic visit:
- For your appointment please plan to arrive 30 minutes early to complete paperwork required by your insurance company and UCLA Health System.
- If you require an x-ray, please arrive at least one hour before your scheduled appointment time for visits at the Santa Monica hospital clinic in order to give you time to get your x-ray prior to seeing a physician. Please arrive 30 minutes early when visiting the Westwood clinic because the x-ray unit is inside of the orthopaedic clinic.
- Please bring your insurance card and photo identification to every visit. Insurances Accepted at UCLA >>
- Please dress comfortably. While not required, we recommend you consider wearing shorts, a short sleeve blouse, etc. because the doctor will need to examine the area where you are hurting. Additionally, you may need an x-ray. If your clothing provides open access to the area where you are hurting, it may allow you avoid using an examination gown.
- If you were referred by another physician, please bring all related medical records, film and reports.
- If you have had an x-ray, CT scan, MRI, or other imaging study it is very important you bring film, or the CD, with you to your clinic appointment along with the written interpretation from the doctor who performed the study. The UCLA treating physician will want to see all of these items.
- If your insurance plan requires a referral, please bring it with you.
General Payment Policies
UCLA will bill your insurance provider for Professional Service Fees provided during the course of your visit. It is our policy to collect all co-pays, deductibles and fees not covered by your insurance at the time of visit. If you do not have insurance, full payment is expected when services are provided. We accept personal checks, MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover cards as means of payment.
Questions About Your Appointment
If you have questions regarding your appointment, or our office policies, you may call the treating physician's office directly. You may also call the department's scheduling center at (310) 319-1234. For Spine Center patients, please call (310) 319-DISK (3475). Our scheduling centers are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm to schedule appointments.
Thank you,
The faculty and staff of the UCLA Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
